[Leica] Enhance Details

Tina Manley tmanley at gmail.com
Wed Feb 13 11:23:48 PST 2019 

And, once again, the original files are all still there, untouched, thanks
to Lightroom.  I often post photos that are unmanipulated but the critics
seem to zero in on the ones that I have exaggerated on purpose for stock
sales.  I know what sells.  I have been selling stock photography for over
40 years.  Tastes have changed throughout the years and what once would
have been a best-seller is not even noticed today.  In order to sell, the
photos have to stand out from the crowd.  Alamy, my main but not only stock
agency, now has over 156 million photos in their files.  If you search for
Travel, you get this selection:

https://www.alamy.com/search.html?CreativeOn=1&adv=1&ag=0&all=1&creative=&et=0x000000000000000000000&vp=0&loc=0&qt=travel&qn=&lic=6&lic=1&imgt=0&archive=1&dtfr=&dtto=&hc=&selectdate=&size=0xFF&aqt=&epqt=&oqt=&nqt=&gtype=0

Notice the ones that come to the top of the search?  They are exactly as
you describe - exaggerated and painterly.  That's because that's what
sells.  I am working on my taxes now and Alamy tells me that I made $76,377
last year from the photos that I have with them.  That's not nearly as much
as it used to be but it's certainly better than it would be if I posted
only the photos that I prefer and that are more "natural".  I have the
"natural", unmanipulated photos which I save for my own clients who tend to
be non-profits who pay nothing except the knowledge that you are helping to
raise money for worthy causes.  I can only afford to use my photography to
help others because I make money with the stock.  Did you even notice the
photos I posted of Syrian refugees??  I've raised over $50,000 with those,
so far, 100% of which goes to the education of Syrian children.

Rant over.  I'm going back to manipulating my photos of Bangladesh so they
will sell.  This one will be more painterly and exaggerated when it is
posted on Alamy:

https://pbase.com/tinamanley/image/168812581

Tina

On Wed, Feb 13, 2019 at 1:33 PM Ken Iisaka <ken at iisaka.com> wrote:

> I don't disagree with John's opinion about images that look over-processed.
> These images look like that, on LR, the "Clarity" is pushed up way high,
> "Shadows" lifted high, and the "Highlights" brought down a lot. As a
> result, the overall dynamic contrast is reduced, while local contrast is
> increased for the extra "pop." The reduced dynamic contrast gives them more
> of a "painted" look.
>
> I've observed that a lot in real-estate listings, while the interior looks
> as bright as the outside. Combined with extreme wide-angle lenses, they
> have the dramatic effect of an otherwise mundane subject. It used to be
> quite fashionable for newspaper photographers to use an extreme wide angle
> or tele for that dramatic look, even though the unnatural perspectives
> distorted the subjects and actually took the eyes away from the subjects.
> However, they "popped" out of the dull newsprint paper.
>
> I am surmising that, in the photography stock market, the images are more
> akin to a résumé. They need to scream out for attention, as the editor is
> sifting through thousands of images, and the image has to have an immediate
> impact to be chosen. If the editor wants a more natural look, s/he could
> request such an image, I'd imagine.
>
> However, I cannot conceal my disdain for such over-processed, super-HDR
> look that has flooded the market. Professional photographers in the
> business have to follow the trend to stay afloat, but at a more personal
> level, I strive to create images that recreate the experience of
> encountering the scene. It may involve some manipulation to bring the
> images closer to what my eyes saw, but I don't want the Lightroom
> manipulations to dominate. At the end of the day, it's about the subjects
> and their stories. The images I prefer are those whose photographic
> process, all the way from the lens, camera, to the final medium, are
> transparent to viewers, and bring the viewers to the subjects.
>
>
>
> On Tue, 12 Feb 2019 at 15:49, Tina Manley via LUG <lug at leica-users.org>
> wrote:
>
> > Prints and stock are totally different markets.  I know what I'm doing.
> >
> > Tina
> >
> > On Wed, Feb 13, 2019 at 6:48 AM John McMaster <john at mcmaster.co.uk>
> wrote:
> >
> > > No, but the prints I sell usually get the reaction that they look
> natural
> > > ;-)
> > >
> > > john
> > >
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: LUG [mailto:lug-bounces+john=mcmaster.co.uk at leica-users.org] On
> > > Behalf Of Tina Manley via LUG
> > > Sent: 12 February 2019 23:47
> > > To: Leica Users Group
> > > Cc: Tina Manley
> > > Subject: Re: [Leica] Enhance Details
> > >
> > > Do you make your living leasing stock photos??  I do.
> > >
> > > Tina
> > >
> > > On Wed, Feb 13, 2019 at 6:44 AM John McMaster <john at mcmaster.co.uk>
> > wrote:
> > >
> > > > Whatever, IMO your images that you show look over-processed...
> > > >
> > > > john
> > > >
> > > > -----Original Message-----
> > > > From: LUG [mailto:lug-bounces+john=mcmaster.co.uk at leica-users.org]
> On
> > > > Behalf Of Tina Manley via LUG
> > > > Sent: 12 February 2019 21:46
> > > > To: Leica Users Group
> > > > Cc: Tina Manley
> > > > Subject: Re: [Leica] Enhance Details
> > > >
> > > > For some images a little detail enhancement makes the difference.  I
> do
> > > it
> > > > now with external software programs.  It would be great to do it
> > without
> > > > leaving LR.  Just one more thing that LR makes easier.
> > > >
> > > > Tina
> > > >
> > > > On Tue, Feb 12, 2019 at 4:36 PM John McMaster <john at mcmaster.co.uk>
> > > wrote:
> > > >
> > > > > You own many thousands of dollars worth of equipment, why do you
> > think
> > > > you
> > > > > need this?  Isn't that why we buy Leica....
> > > > >
> > > > > john
> > > > >
> > > > > -----Original Message-----
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > PESO:
> > > > >
> > > > > The Adobe LR upgrade today says that it includes the new Enhance
> > > Details
> > > > > feature.  I've upgraded and my Windows is up to date; however,
> when I
> > > go
> > > > to
> > > > > Photo > Enhance Details, a pop up window tells me I need to upgrade
> > > > Windows
> > > > > 10 to October 2018 before I can use this feature.
> > > > >
> > > > > My Windows is totally up to date.  Google searches tell me nothing.
> > > > > Anybody have a clue??
> > > > >
> > > > > Tina
> > > > >
> > > > > --
> > > > > Tina Manley
> > > > > www.tinamanley.com
> > > > > tina-manley.artistwebsites.com
> > > > > http://www.pbase.com/tinamanley
> > > > > <
> > > > >
> > > >
> > >
> >
> http://www.alamy.com/stock-photography/3B49552F-90A0-4D0A-A11D-2175C937AA91/Tina+Manley.html
> > > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > _______________________________________________
> > > > > Leica Users Group.
> > > > > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more
> information
> > > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > --
> > > > Tina Manley
> > > > www.tinamanley.com
> > > > tina-manley.artistwebsites.com
> > > > http://www.pbase.com/tinamanley
> > > > <
> > > >
> > >
> >
> http://www.alamy.com/stock-photography/3B49552F-90A0-4D0A-A11D-2175C937AA91/Tina+Manley.html
> > > > >
> > > >
> > > > _______________________________________________
> > > > Leica Users Group.
> > > > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
> > > >
> > > > _______________________________________________
> > > > Leica Users Group.
> > > > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
> > > >
> > >
> > >
> > > --
> > > Tina Manley
> > > www.tinamanley.com
> > > tina-manley.artistwebsites.com
> > > http://www.pbase.com/tinamanley
> > > <
> > >
> >
> http://www.alamy.com/stock-photography/3B49552F-90A0-4D0A-A11D-2175C937AA91/Tina+Manley.html
> > > >
> > >
> > > _______________________________________________
> > > Leica Users Group.
> > > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
> > >
> > > _______________________________________________
> > > Leica Users Group.
> > > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
> > >
> >
> >
> > --
> > Tina Manley
> > www.tinamanley.com
> > tina-manley.artistwebsites.com
> > http://www.pbase.com/tinamanley
> > <
> >
> http://www.alamy.com/stock-photography/3B49552F-90A0-4D0A-A11D-2175C937AA91/Tina+Manley.html
> > >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > Leica Users Group.
> > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
> >
>
>
> --
> Ken Iisaka
> first name at last name dot org or com
>
> _______________________________________________
> Leica Users Group.
> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information



-- 
Tina Manley
www.tinamanley.com
tina-manley.artistwebsites.com
http://www.pbase.com/tinamanley
<http://www.alamy.com/stock-photography/3B49552F-90A0-4D0A-A11D-2175C937AA91/Tina+Manley.html>

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